Fewer things are easier to love than chocolate, tea and coffee. Each warms and comforts in its own way, each can give a sense of decadence when consumed, and each depletes my bank account on a regular basis. Sunday 31st was The Rocks Aroma Festival, an event dedicated to the scents drifting in the air when these products are made and prepared, and Roxy and I ventured into the city to check it out.
The section nearest Circular Quay was The Latin Quarter. On offer here were churros, hot chocolate, coffee and tea, and Tango dancing with the Latin Quartet.
Pukka Teas
The Naked Berry
Our first stop was The Naked Berry for some plump, juicy strawberries dipped in chocolate (and in Roxy's case, dipped in nuts as well) - an excellent start.
Milk-Chocolate Dipped Strawberry + Chocolate and Nut Strawberry
Handmade Biscuits and Pastries
Baked goods beckoned to us from Handmade Biscuits and Pastries, but we didn't want to fill up too quickly...
Wine Odyssey Australia
Wine Odyssey Australia were offering wraps with handmade meatballs or chicken tikka, and also some hot mulled wine.
Turkish Gozleme
Spinach and feta gozleme was made to order as well - I could smell the sizzle of the flat bread and the salty tang of the feta.
Crave Coffee
Cappuccino from Crave - $2.00
We finally decided on a coffee stall to try, and weren't disappointed. The capp I ordered managed to be robust and rich without the bitter aftertaste that you sometimes get, and there was the added bonus of a cute barista ;)
Brownie - $2.50
I bought a brownie and a piece of rocky road from Voodoo Rocky Road and we sat down to try them out. The brownie was just a touch dry on the inside, with quite a thick crust, but the rocky road was a different thing altogther - It was AMAZING. It was full of marshmallows and peanuts and glace cherries, and the chocolate was wonderfully smooth and silky.
Rocky Road - $2.50
Kali Premium Chocolate
We mosied on over to The Continent, and spied people clutching big brioche rolls filled with gelato. We rushed to the stall, but they were all sold out :( We consoled ourselves with chocolate covered coffee beans from Kali Premium Chocolate instead.
Can-Can Dancers
We were there in time to watch the Can-Can dancers, but I have a feeling they thought their enthusiasm would make up for any lack of skill. The fellas probably appreciated it though.
Il Espresso
Il Espresso offered traditional wood roasted coffee, which I found interesting. Plantation Wood Roasted beans are their signature blend; beans are imported from India and roasted over Australian wood.
Chocolate Mint
Roxy bought a gin truffle and chocolate shards from Chocolate Mint, a handmade chocolate stall with origins in Greystanes.
Rochester Ginger
We stopped at Rochester Ginger to try a sample of their Ginger drink, which is made from a genuine Dickension recipe which includes raw ginger, elderflower, raisins, and cowslip. It was definitely bracing and had a hell of a kick, but was surprisingly non-alcoholic.
Rochester Ginger Sample
Mango and Passionfruit Pavlova
On the way to The Oasis we stopped for some delicious pavlova :)
Turkish Coffee Seller
Turkish Coffee and Apple Tea
Turkish Apple Tea - $2.00
Feeling a bit parched, I went for a refreshing apple tea. Unfortunately I spilled half of it on myself, but we cleaned up and headed for home.
Nerissimo
On the way we stopped for another coffee at Nerissimo, then grabbed a skewer of chocolate covered strawberries each.
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Skewers - 2 for $10.00
These strawberries were just as luscious as the first lot we had, but not as thickly covered as the ones from The Naked Berry.
The Haul
I ended up coming home with a large bag of goodies that included my coffee from Il Espresso, my chocolate covered coffee beans and chai tea from Kali, and some salted caramel and lemon myrtle truffles from Gumnut Chocolates. All in all a pretty good catch :) Unfortunately we missed The Orient section, but we still had a great time!
Wow this looked great, i was hoping to make it in there but alas was not to happen :(
Glad i'm not the only one who manages to spill stuff on themselves!
Posted by: muppy | Aug 15, 2011 at 09:20 PM
Looks like you had a great day! No coffee art this year? I didn't end up going cause I thought it was going to rain ^^"
Posted by: Vivian - vxdollface | Aug 15, 2011 at 10:56 PM
Bummer I missed it again :( Looks like a delicious day out!
Posted by: Gaby | Aug 16, 2011 at 09:50 AM
Nice sharing!!
This is so charming & delicious post site.
Thanks
Posted by: Buy Coffee | Jul 03, 2012 at 05:18 AM
Really a good sharing. I am always and every morning taking hot coffee.
Posted by: Eric | Sep 17, 2012 at 03:56 AM